A different examination

HEALTHY lifestyle starts here

There was an air of excitement in my class as the semester was coming to an end.  On the last session before the examination, my students busied themselves with their preparations.

This was the Affective Learning class, a graduate course for educational psychology majors that I have been teaching at the University of the Philippines.

The final exams for this course, which I had taught at least a dozen times before, varied. One test was for each student to do three acts of kindness for strangers within a month—their own “pay it forward” experiences. They had to plan creative ways of helping strangers without expecting any returns, actually experience doing it and reflect on their feelings and learnings.

I wrote about this in the Philippine Daily Inquirer issue of Nov. 27, 2004, “Pay it forward: Lessons in affective education.”

Wellness program

This past semester, I decided to give another kind of exam—the whole class would conduct a one-day wellness program.

We had 14 weeks of lectures and exercises on the importance, implications and approaches of affective learning. They included a taste of a menu of therapies—play, music, book, writing, arts and lots of reflections.

For this test, students would be the facilitators and, at the same time, participants. Each group of two to three persons had an overall expectation of what the other groups would do so

Saving the world in 20 minutes

there would be no overlap, but details and methods were kept secret.

Participants would pay attention to their own affective needs and expressions. Facilitators would demonstrate activities to help students reconnect, relax, restore, refresh, remember, reflect and rethink life.

Play therapy

The first activity, “20 minutes to save the world,” facilitated by Joy and Jane, was a game with two groups competing. With meager resources and space and time constraints, each team had to find a creative and effective way to bring a “bomb” out using crude “equipment.”

With the many restrictions and time running out, players willingly made sacrifices—lose a limb or an eye to reach the object. Still in vain!

Then the competing groups decided to collaborate and, in the nick of time, accomplished the mission.

Self-reflection followed. What did they learn about themselves and about one another?

Competitiveness, rashness, lack of planning and losing precious time could be fatal, while cooperation, determination, helpfulness and listening carefully could save the world.

Art and music therapy

Facilitated by Marcial and Jericho, the next session was a time for silence and solitude. Each participant was blindfolded as step-by-step instructions were given.

With a Mozart piano concerto playing in the background, participants were asked to recall their unhappy experiences. They then expressed their feelings on paper with a black crayon.

Slowly, pent-up emotions appeared, first in slow, fine strokes then bolder, harsher and more rugged.

CLASS picture

The facilitator changed the music to pop and asked participants to move on to the present and future. Still blindfolded and using colorful crayons, participants’ drawings changed to gardens and flowers, hearts and other symbols of hope.

When their blindfolds were removed, they were surprised to see their drawings. They were then asked to write short poems about their drawings. Quite a few showed much potential as they read their lyrics.

Food therapy

For their examination, Marielle, Sarah and Ryan, who became buddies in the name of healthy food and lifestyle, eagerly showed what they believed in.

Like fish in the water, the happy trio enthusiastically shared their knowledge, introducing the class to organic products—from teas to vegetables, soaps to honey, spices to herbs and a hundred minute pieces, which they did not mind hauling to school.

They eagerly answered questions by using personal testimonials. They also put together a workbook with inventories, reading materials and relevant websites. Then the class was treated to a wellness lunch that included many of the organic products.

Dance therapy

In her bright leotard, Leanne, a Zumba teacher, assisted by Maricel, brought the class to their feet for a heart-pumping session in dance.

It was great to see my students in full body shots moving, stretching, bending and twisting. As some began to show exhaustion after 10 minutes, the instructor continued to motivate.

The upbeat exercises brought laughter even as sweat poured down their faces and necks down to the spines.

It was good to see shy students showing such confidence on the dance floor.

Book therapy

The seminar room was then magically transformed into an art gallery. As soft music played in the background, gallery curators Celeste and Jennelyn welcomed visitors to a special

From sad recollections to hopeful resolutions

exhibit.

Paintings by the curators illustrated selected words of their favorite authors.  As visitors moved along the corridors, they read words that spoke to their hearts. If anyone lingered at a particular panel, the curators explained the background of the quotations.

Visitors were given money tokens to buy the paintings, which contained life-changing words that the buyer should put into practice.

A twist on a full-blown bibliotherapy, which takes much time, this abridged version did just as well, introducing participants to great writers and their heartfelt words.

The thought and effort that went into the finely illustrated drawings and calligraphy, plus the mounting and presentation, made it the best session.

Spiritual meditation

To end a long day, it was back to the beginning:  “Our Father.” Diwa and Jasmin led the class in forming a circle to meditate on the goodness of the Father and to say the first two words of the “Lord’s Prayer” with meaning and sincerity.

A brief study on the importance of spiritual intimacy with the Father was shared. With music playing in the background, selections of spiritual writing were read and heard. Silence interspersed with gentle words led to a closing prayer.

What the teacher learns

The examination gave students plenty of time to examine their life, thoughts and feelings.

I gave individual feedback to each facilitator, commenting on both effort and performance, suggesting a few tips for improvement and, more importantly, lots of words of encouragement for choosing this vocation  that involves care of both the heart and mind of students without forgetting their own.

The project resulted in a sense of camaraderie and friendship unseen in other classes. Self-understanding was enhanced throughout the semester with all their journal entries but understanding others could only be experienced in group projects where survival, even for the most self-sufficient, self-confident person, would depend on another.

This course taught my students interdependence vis-à-vis independence in an increasingly individualistic, indifferent, impatient and intolerant world of “selfies.”

E-mail the author at [email protected].